Juan de Fuca - xmas 2010

I was thinking about last year's Christmas trip and upon looking, realized that I didn't post at all about it!  

We had a glorious time with Stevie's family in Chilliwack!  

Then we went to Vancouver Island.  

 Where everything in nature is huge.  Huge trees, huge beach, huge ocean...

Huge Love.

Atlin playin' with some bull kelp.

We spent a really nice day on the trails on the Southwest side of Vancouver Island.  

The Juan de Fuca trails.  They are good for day trips because there are a lot of hike in beaches. 

This particular beach is Sombrio Beach.

There had been a small community of people living/squatting out there very happily... until the ones in charge decided thats ENOUGH happiness.  and they told them to leave, chainsawed their homes in half and burned them.  here's the link to the documentary .  Sad.

there's still a swing back in the bush.  

and their spirits are there too.  

If you see any redhead girls working in Port Renfrew, with surfboards on their car, thats them!





my Drift wood collection.

A lot of these are still a part of Atlin's toys! They are used as percussion instruments.

Two hardy chunks of driftwood have a really good sound actually!

Happyest daddy.  

He spent a lot of time out here before we met.  

He worked on fishing boats all around Van. Island so he's connected to that area.

Littel Attie. bein' an sea babe

I have spent some good time on these beaches. the more the merrier!

I really had moments just watching and listening to the full sound and feeling of the ocean waves.

It is so powerful. 

I could spend hours and hours just watching and listening.

The ocean gives meaning to the yogic breath/meditation:  Ujjayi breath

It is a great meditation. and using during asanas creates heat and groundedness.

I can still smell the salty air, feel the humidity.  soft skin.

THis is what she thought of that day trip to the Juan de Fuca!  loved it.

BC Ferrys is a wonderful place to spend time and dream.

Its nice to think:  the ocean is turning RIGHT now...

as we breath.

various quests for happiness!!

 I am on Day 4 of a " 30 days light of yoga"

meaning, i have decided to to 2 sessions of one hour per week and the rest just half hour or less... or more if that is what happens.  a little stretching goes a long way!

childs pose!

I am not sure if It is because of the yoga or the slightly raw food cleanse I am at the end of, but I feel GREAT!

I feel inspired.

full of energy

excited about the day

less worried about what I need to do

and with this, comes good into my life from outer sources.

Are you aware that inner happiness CREATES outer happiness? its not the other way around.  

but how do we become happy inside when we feel sad or off???   

The question everybody wants an answer to!

You may be the only one who knows the answer.  I bet if you sit down with a pen, paper, and adequate time, you can find what it is you need to do to maintain a healthy and happy mind.

For me, there are 5 things that come to mind:

1) eating well, enough veggies and proteins

2) getting outside/ getting exercise

3) proper elimination!

4) enough sleep (although this doesn't seem to be That important for me...)

5) feeling an active part of my community of positive friends and family

Although, I know there are other barriers to happiness that seem out of our hands and I am NOT claiming to have the answer to happiness for you or even me!  Some people need medication to be happier, which, in my opinion is the best thing you can do for yourself if found in that position.  My own mother has suffered with depression on and off for years and I believe that going un-medicated has resulted in a manifestation of cancer and a lot of it.  She had been medicated from time to time, but the last 10 years had refused drugs. This is when the breast cancer showed up. It was removed, then returned elsewhere... then showed up all over the place.

mind. body. soul.

our mental health is in our own hands and is the most IMPORtant thing. without good mental health, the rest of our lives can fall apart! If our mind is unhealthy, so will our body and soul be.

I do not discount the necessity of feelings other than happiness!  There are certainly times for sadness and anger. They have their place and make the lighter times feel much lighter. Crying is a great release of negative energy and must never be discouraged.  You know if you are in balance.

The journey to happiness every day is different for everybody.  Do whatever you have to do to find it!

Today, give yourself a pampering or a gift. Make time for yourself. Take care of the temple that is your body.

Any work you can do for your inner happiness is the most important.  Its work for you, your children, friends, partner, family, the clerk at the bank!  

This is Donna De Lory, 

a wonderful musician who I love to be in the background when i am doing yoga!

The light in me honors the light in you =  NAMSTE

yoga practise.

Yoga is quickly becoming very common in the western world. I was introduced to it about 5 yrs ago when our small northern town (dawson city) was lucky enough to have a very wonderful teacher come up and do some 2 week intensives.

He started with relaxation and pranayama (breath work), then sun salutations, the asanas, and a lovely meditation to end it.

I can still hear him saying "...relax your ongles, my ongles are completely relax..." in his indian accent. Such a soothing voice.

At the end when we were relaxing and going into meditation "... your mind is like a calm lake..." love that, I use that one all the time.

On the very first day, after we learned sun salutations, (a lot of us brand new to yoga) he said "okay, now we will do headstand!" haha, we were all thinkin - ya right!
but, after about 3 days - a week, almost all of us were doing headstands! It was a really good intro to yoga.

and now it is a tool I am very glad to have and I use quite often.

Having a small child and a partner who works long hours means that going to a regular yoga class is not very realistic. This little town (radville) features a wonderful yoga class which I just recently attended and loved. So I will go as much as possible.
however
most days, when the body feels sore, I turn to the yogatoday channel on utube!!
I do a few sun salutations first and then pick a little snippet video to do. It gets me going.





Here is my favorite one, the hips just tingle with fresh energy for hours after!










shanti shanti shanti
peace peace peace